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Hudson first witness in murder trial

Story highlights

Court is expected to resume at 10:30 a.m. (11:30 a.m. ET) on Wednesday

Several gruesome crime scene photographs are entered into evidence

William Balfour is accused of fatally shooting Hudson's mother, brother and nephew

Balfour, the estranged husband of Hudson's sister, has denied the charges

More than two dozen people filled a Chicago courtroom Tuesday, listening to testimony in the case of the murdered relatives of Grammy-winning singer Jennifer Hudson.

Hudson was seated beside her fiance as witnesses recalled the harrowing events of a rainy day in October 2008, when the singer's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and her brother Jason Hudson, 29, were shot dead. The body of Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found three days later in an abandoned vehicle.

Her former brother-in-law, William Balfour, is charged with their murders. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Sgt. Richard Dowling, the first police officer to arrive at the murder scene, said he found Hudson's mother lying face down with a gunshot wound to her back. Dowling next found her brother on a bed, he testified, though he recalled that he had difficulty identifying the man because he had been wrapped in blankets.

Police searched the home for Julian, issuing an Amber Alert when their initial sweep failed.

Police officer Jennifer Bryk testified that she was next to Hudson's sister, Julia, who at the time was separated from Balfour, when he called her after the attack.

Through tears, she talked about the last time she saw her family together and the day she found out about the deaths.

"I did everything in my power to get home," Hudson said. She testified that she identified her relatives' bodies for authorities.

During cross-examination, the singer-actress, who was dressed in black, returned to the subject of Balfour.

"Where he was, I tried not to be," Hudson said.

In the afternoon, her sister, Julia Hudson, took the stand.

She said Balfour threatened to kill her family after she told him she didn't want to be with him.

"'If you leave me, you'll be the last to die. I'll kill your family first,' " she quoted him as saying. She also said Balfour was jealous of her son.

Julia Hudson recounted arriving home the day of the killings, finding a bullet hole in the door and running inside.

"I'm saying, 'Mama, mama, mama,'" she said. "She didn't answer."

She testified that she ran screaming from the home after finding her mother lying in blood on the floor.

When police asked her who could have done it, Julia Hudson said, she told them "William."

Eighteen people have been selected to serve on the jury: 10 women and eight men. The group includes six alternates. The judge has said he expects the trial to last three to four weeks.

Balfour was detained for questioning the day after the victims were found at the Chicago home. The authorities said at the time that they were holding Balfour for an unspecified parole violation, but he was indicted for murder two months later.

Balfour has also been charged with one count of home invasion.

His lawyer has said in court that there is no forensic evidence linking him to the killings.

The deaths took place a year after Hudson, who rose to fame as a contestant on "American Idol," won an Oscar for her role in the movie "Dreamgirls."

In a recent interview with CNN's Piers Morgan, Hudson reflected on the life of her mother.

"My mother was a very wise and strong person. I feel like she raised us well, and she prepared me well, and so that's what I live by," she said.

Her career has continued to blossom and remain varied since her relatives' deaths.

Her recent milestones include penning a memoir detailing her struggles with her weight; being cast to play Nelson Mandela's ex-wife, Winnie, in an upcoming movie; releasing a new album; and singing a well-received tribute to Whitney Houston at the most recent Grammy Awards show in February.